500 Adrenaline Adventures (Frommer's) - Lois Friedland [66]
Ceará, Brazil: From mid-July to mid-January, there’s almost constant wind and big white-crested swells off the pristine coastline between Fortaleza and Jericoacoara in northeastern Brazil. This area has become the South American hot spot for kiteboarders. As warm air from the Amazon in the south hits trade winds from the north, Ceará gets steady and strong gusts. Cumbuco, just 32km (20 miles) away from the Fortaleza International Airport, is the best place to begin your kiteboarding adventure. Paracuru and Prea are also popular destinations along the coast. www.kiteadventures.com.
Mui Ne, Vietnam: This unassuming fishing village and resort town in Vietnam’s quiet Binh Thuan Province, about a 5-hour drive from the chaos of Ho Chi Min City, is one of the most popular kiteboarding destinations in Asia. The allure is the consistent crosswinds from December to May that encourage long glides over and above the South China Sea. Lessons in this area tend to be fairly cheap. www.stormkiteboarding.com.
Viuex Fort, St Lucia: This tropical paradise gets strong prevailing winds that average between 18 and 20 knots in the winter and 14 and 16 knots during off-peak season, though the best weather usually comes between December and August. Upping the adrenaline ante, a high-tech kiteboarding school opened in fall 2009 at the Coconut Bay Resort and Spa. It offers state-of-the-art equipment including walkie-talkie–like radios on all the helmets and video coaching, so that instructors can review and help improve performances while you’re on the water. www.2elements.co.uk.
Maui, Hawaii, U.S.A.: Kiteboarding isn’t just a sport in Maui; it’s an obsession—especially at Ka’a Point, on the western end of Kahana Beach (also known as Kite Beach). Set in a valley between the West Maui Mountains and Haleakala, wind funnels across Kite Beach, creating a thrilling mix of conditions. Fairly predictable trade winds are common from May to October, while more diverse onshore winds typically blow through in the winter. www.ksmaui.com.
Traverse City, Michigan, U.S.A.: From June to September, consistent onshore winds and clear water create optimal conditions for kiteboarding along the almost 180 miles (290km) of shoreline in Traverse City. You can choose from stretches with flat water, perfect for learning new tricks, or other locations with big freshwater waves. Close to Chicago, Detroit, and Cincinnati, this area of northern Michigan is the Midwestern hub of kiteboarding. www.broneah.com.
Hood River, Oregon, U.S.A.: If you drive about an hour east of Portland between June and August, you’ll see a rainbow of kites soaring over the Hood River along the Colombia River Gorge, where steady wind gusts can reach between 20 to 40 mph (32–64kmph). As kiters take off from the popular launching spot on Kite Beach, known as “the Spit,” they speed across the rippling waves created by the warm air blowing upstream from the Pacific Ocean that passes through the drier region east of the Cascade Mountains. www.brianswindsurfing.com.
Outer Banks, North Carolina, U.S.A.: Each summer, the sand-dune-speckled islands of the Outer Banks attract kiteboard enthusiasts from all over the world. Pamlico Sound, off of Cape Hatteras, is one of the area’s most renowned spots because of its steady robust winds and smooth shallow water. If you’re just starting out, one of the best places to learn is at the Kitty Hawk Kiteboarding Resort in Rodanthe on Hatteras Island. www.kittyhawkkites.com.
The Best Odyssey, various locations: The Discovery is a Lagoon 570 catamaran that sails around the world, offering 10-day adventures to some of the earth’s most remote waters and rarely visited islands. To